The Astros made no secret that they wanted an ace to add to their staff. They are making preparations to potentially lose Dallas Keuchel after the 2018 season in free agency. But for the upcoming season, they will now have Cole to go along with Keuchel and Justin Verlander, enhancing their rotation and chances of repeating as champs.

Cole, 27, is coming off a down season in which he posted a career-worst 4.26 ERA, but he is under team control for two more seasons. The former No. 1 overall pick is 59-42 with a 3.50 ERA during his career.

Musgrove, 25, is a right-handed pitcher who served as both a starter and reliever last season. He has a 4.52 career ERA in 171.1 innings. Moran, 23, is a former No. 6 overall pick. He has batted .206 in 34 career at-bats. His path in Houston was being blocked by Alex Bregman.

Cole, who has been with Pittsburgh for his entire MLB career, was reported on Wednesday to have been dealt to this prominent American League team, but that was later deemed to be false. The former No. 1 overall pick is still a prime candidate to be traded by the rebuilding Pirates however, so the Cole’s should probably keep their GIF game handy just in case.

Cole has been linked to the Yankees and Astros repeatedly but, despite reports to the contrary, nothing has been close. Matching up with the Cubs may prove difficult for many reasons. They don’t have a lot of prospects, and if the Pirates are going to trade Cole, they may prefer to send him to the American League rather than an NL Central rival.

Gerrit Cole may eventually end up being traded to the Astros, but conflicting reports indicated as of Wednesday afternoon that Houston had not reached a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the starting pitcher.

Shortly after Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reported and Ken Rosenthal confirmed that the Astros were on the verge of acquiring Cole, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports was told by a source that any reports about a completed deal stemmed from a “false rumor.”

Source: "No deal" for Gerrit Cole to Houston. "False rumor."

As is the case with these things, talks could pick back up quickly. For now, though, Gerrit Cole to Houston is not happening.

Cole, 27, is coming off a down season in which he posted a career-worst 4.26 ERA, but he is under team control for two more seasons. The former No. 1 overall pick is 59-42 with a 3.50 ERA during his career.

The Astros had been openly pursuing another top starting pitcher, and there were rumblings that they could sign either Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta. The New York Yankees had been tied to Cole throughout the offseason, but apparently Houston offered the best package.

Cole, 27, is coming off a down season in which he posted a career-worst 4.26 ERA, but he is under team control for two more seasons. The former No. 1 overall pick is 59-42 with a 3.50 ERA during his career.

The Astros’ decision to pull the trigger on a Cole trade is another indicator that they could be preparing to lose one of their best pitchers after the 2018 season. But in the short term, Cole should cement Houston as the favorite to win back-to-back World Series.

The Houston Astros are looking for another ace, and one option they have explored is a trade for Gerrit Cole, according to a report.

Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweeted Monday about the Astros’ pursuit of another top pitcher. He says signing Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta are options for Houston. A trade for Cole is another:

The Astros going after another frontline starter, as owner Jim Crane suggested they are today, makes sense with Dallas Keuchel hitting free agency after the 2018 season. Could be Gerrit Cole via trade. Could be Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta in free agency. Options are plentiful.

The New York Yankees may be in hot pursuit of Pittsburgh Pirates starter Gerrit Cole, but a deal is not on the verge of completion, according to a report.

Yahoo Sports’s Jeff Passan reported Friday that, though the sides remain engaged, nothing is close between the Yankees and Pirates.

On Gerrit Cole, sources say a deal with the Yankees is neither close nor imminent. The sentiment is same as last night: There’s room for a deal to be made, and they match up very well together. Both sides know that. Right now, it’s a staring contest.